A Dream Realized I feel certain that when my classmates compiled our high school yearbook, nobody suggested that I be voted most likely to become a successful, bestselling author. To those who knew me then, my achievements as an adult are probably a bit of a surprise. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that our intention, propelled by our positive emotions, can make any dream a reality.
In the early 2000's, I set a goal to be a New York Times bestselling author. To me, that symbolized a pinnacle of success. I had spent countless hours learning about personal growth and self-discovery, enjoyed a career in the technology industry, and had transitioned into a new career as a seminar leader, speaker and mentor. I loved helping people formulate and achieve their goals and wanted to communicate my ideas in a way that would uplift and inspire people all over the world.I didn't grow up wanting to be an author. In fact, I've often heard interviews with authors who talk about loving their English class in school and how they enjoy writing stories and have always known they wanted to be a writer, but that isn't me at all. When I first wrote down my ambitious goal of becoming a bestselling author, I immediately thought to myself: "Yeah right, Peggy!" I had little formal education and no idea how to write a book or create a bestseller. I didn't know anyone in the publishing business or anyone who marketed books. With no clue how to achieve my goal, I just planted a seed and opened myself up to whatever opportunities came my way.
I could have dwelled on all the reasons someone like me couldn't become a New York Times bestselling author. Instead, I discarded those negative thoughts about reaching such a lofty, even seemingly impossible goal. That's where many people can get stuck. They think, "That's something I'd really like to have," but then, BOOM, up come 101 reasons why they can't get it. They don't know how to get from where they are to where they want to be, become frustrated and lost, then let the fire of their passion subside, and the dream dies. Looking back, they'll sigh and say, "I guess it just wasn't meant to be."As unrealistic as my goal might have seemed to others, I held on to the belief that we don't need to know how something is going to manifest, we just have to trust that it will.
Our intention, coupled with strong feelings of curiosity, enthusiasm, and faith, takes us from seed to flower, and becomes the driving force of achieving or attracting anything.Our job is simply to identify what we want and then begin generating the emotions we'd feel if our dream had already come true. For me, that meant using my imagination to create the emotional experience of being a bestselling author. I had to act as if my name and book title were already on that prestigious New York Times list. I planted the seed of my intention, then watered and nurtured it with my feelings, thoughts, and actions.
My enthusiasm propelled me into action, and I began to create a file of ideas. It occurred to me to try to figure out the ingredients of a successful book, so I went to my bookshelf, took down books I'd really loved and been moved by, and skimmed them to see how they were organized and what elements had made them such excellent guides. I went on to study more bestselling books and soon I had clarity about how I would go about presenting my thoughts.All the while, I was constantly visualizing my bestselling author experience. Actually, "visualizing" doesn't quite capture the intensity of what I was doing. I truly lived the experience, heart and soul. One day, it occurred to me that if I wanted to achieve my goal, I was going to have to be extremely persistent, like a dog holding on to a bone that someone wants to take away.I can't say that the writing flowed easily. It was very hard work at times, but I stuck to my plan and sat down at that computer even when I was feeling a little nervous or insecure. I told myself, "I'll just expand on my ideas and see where they go." I thought positively, generated a feeling of confidence and excitement, and started typing away.
At last, I'd completed my first manuscript. One book lead to another book and in my quest to become an author, at first, I chose to self publish my books. However, to become a New York Times bestselling author, I needed to find a Publisher.During this whole process, I continued being a student. From what I've found, successful people are all on a lifelong path of learning and constantly improving themselves.When I came up with the concept for Your Destiny Switch, I felt it was very important for me to promote the message of the book: that the power of our emotions is what allows us to reach our goals.I'd found a literary agent through a business associate, and she sold Your Destiny Switch to a large publisher, Hay House. I decided that this was the book that was going to be on the New York Times bestseller list.To make this happen, I used a primary strategy of online marketing. I specifically lined up promotional activities for the week that the book would be launching and available on shelves in bookstores as well as online. I prepared a massive internet marketing campaign, joyfully watched my book climb to the top of the Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com bestseller lists the week of the launch, and was elated a few days later when my agent, Cathy, called to tell me that the book had hit the New York Times bestseller list.and on the very first week of release! (Note: When your book reaches the list, it doesn't actually appear until a couple of weeks later.)I remember jumping up and down like I was on a pogo stick, feeling absolutely exhilarated. While I was tingling with excitement, I was also thinking, "You know, this is exactly what I knew it would be like." The feeling was very familiar.You see, I'd been experiencing this excitement for years, every time I envisioned myself having already achieved my goal, whether I was feeling the emotion during the call from my agent or reading my affirmations and expressing my joy and gratitude that I was a New York Times bestselling author. The Universe had answered my intention with the very situation I'd imagined. It was magical.
Our thoughts, feelings, and actions have tremendous power. We can tap into positivity at any moment we choose and begin to shift our energy, sending a clear message that we're ready and eager to receive all that we desire. The intensity of our emotions, and the ease with which we can switch them, is what Your Destiny Switch is all about.I would love to go to the top of the highest mountain and scream this out so that everyone in the world could hear me: "You don't have to know how you will achieve your dream.set the dream and feel the elation of achieving it and it will happen!" Each day, I'm inspired to spread the word that we all can use the rocket fuel of positive emotions to make our dreams come true. The Universe always answers the clear call of our intention.
Peggy McColl
Saturday, September 26, 2009
A NEW VISION OF GOD
This article written by Marilyn Madison Campbell caught my attention and I wanted to share it with my friends.
According to many, by December 21, 2012 we will be hit by a polar shift, solar flares, Planet X, ETs running amok, a failed economy, cannibalism, and troops of jack-booted thugs threatening us at gunpoint. May I add an additional item to the list? Listen carefully.
What could account for these things? Never in the history of humankind have so many dangers threatened us at the same moment-on a global scale. Dangers totally out of our control. Now I want to introduce a topic that some consider passe' and irrelevant, but I'm going to make the connection. The subject is God. What has God to do with these things? They're not ordinarily the sort of events that one usually connects with God. I must ask you to hold off your reaction until I have a chance to defend my statements.
Let me first state the facts. We have misunderstood on the subject of God. We have taken statements of God's wrath at face value─His bringing a Flood in the days of Noah, His intention to eternally burn those who do not choose to serve Him, etc., etc., etc. Where the wicked are concerned, we have depicted God as totally without pity. Since the wicked have chosen a pathway leading away from God and don't want to have anything to do with Him, we have felt that it was permissible for Him to dispose of them any way he chooses. However, when we look deeper into Scripture, we find that the true situation is very different. God does not destroy. He continues to protect and provide for people, until they let it be known that they want nothing more to do with Him. He continues for a time, protecting and defending, saying, in essence, "Are you sure you want nothing to do with me?" When the free will of the inhabitants of the land assures Him that they want no part of Him, He does what you or I would do under similar circumstances. He walks away. Then all hell breaks loose on planet earth.
Some will agree that this is how God operates-sometimes. I insist that this is how God operates all the time. Many years ago I was having trouble understanding God. My life was a mess; I actually feared for my existence because of all my troubles. And so I prayed. God, why are you doing this to me? I thought you were love. And, as He is wont to do, God answered through His word. I had the fortuitous habit of reading the Bible every day. It became more than a habit, as I began seeing something that grew bigger and clearer with each passing day. I began to see a whole new picture of God's dealings with the human race.
If you read the Bible carefully, you will find that where Scripture speaks of God's killing, it also, either before or after, speaks of God's "handing over" the wicked to destruction. These statements are so commonplace in Scripture that we read over them. Every place in Scripture where God's destructive acts are spoken of, there is a word or phrase that mitigates the action. Where God is said to destroy, it simply means that He backs off his protecting duties and lets nature take it course. In this picture, God expends His energy protecting and generating life to His creatures. He does not expend His energy destroying them. Humans have no way to sustain their life apart from Him. They have no defense against the evil one. When they get their way and God has to let them go, it's the worst day of their life. Because apart from God, there is no life. "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). We cannot live apart from Him. He exercises His energy to give us life. When we will have nothing to do with Him, He regretfully backs off from His protecting and life-giving duties, and nature takes its course.
A very bright friend of this concept, overwhelmed and overjoyed at it, shared this fact with me. In the Middle East at some time in the past it was customary for everything done within the realm to be attributed to the king. Scripture merely follows this tradition. If we don't know the traditions of the time and place these documents came into being, it puts us at a great disadvantage in understanding them. A further reason exists for Scripture to be expressed in such terms as to make God guilty of all that blood. God had a serious problem when it came to setting down His character and covenant in black and white. How could God express Scripture in such a way as to reveal Himself as omnipotent and in charge, and also show that He is totally benign. We usually attribute that quality to weaklings, which God most assuredly is not. He wants us to know that He is in charge of His universe. Human free will determines the outcome. But giving His children the capability of writing Scripture, and knowing how limited human language is in expressing this concept, perhaps it can be understood why this misunderstanding occurred in the first place.
And, where God's wrath is concerned, instead of pushing the frontiers of truth forward to enlightenment, the church discontinued studying before it became fully known, stopping short of the full statement of Scripture on the topic. The church accepted the present perverse view of God and stopped studying. And there you are. Eventually it became "hard wired" into our brains until the proverbial stick of dynamite wouldn't move it.
Now what is there about this concept that adds another danger to our list of threatening items above? Because God is going to give you up to the things that you love apart from him. Your victimizing and your fornicating and your stealing. If you love these things better than God, He'll let you have them all right, but it will be the saddest day of your life. God is a gentleman, and He will respect your free will.
So the next time someone says to you, "God loves you," please know, He really does.
According to many, by December 21, 2012 we will be hit by a polar shift, solar flares, Planet X, ETs running amok, a failed economy, cannibalism, and troops of jack-booted thugs threatening us at gunpoint. May I add an additional item to the list? Listen carefully.
What could account for these things? Never in the history of humankind have so many dangers threatened us at the same moment-on a global scale. Dangers totally out of our control. Now I want to introduce a topic that some consider passe' and irrelevant, but I'm going to make the connection. The subject is God. What has God to do with these things? They're not ordinarily the sort of events that one usually connects with God. I must ask you to hold off your reaction until I have a chance to defend my statements.
Let me first state the facts. We have misunderstood on the subject of God. We have taken statements of God's wrath at face value─His bringing a Flood in the days of Noah, His intention to eternally burn those who do not choose to serve Him, etc., etc., etc. Where the wicked are concerned, we have depicted God as totally without pity. Since the wicked have chosen a pathway leading away from God and don't want to have anything to do with Him, we have felt that it was permissible for Him to dispose of them any way he chooses. However, when we look deeper into Scripture, we find that the true situation is very different. God does not destroy. He continues to protect and provide for people, until they let it be known that they want nothing more to do with Him. He continues for a time, protecting and defending, saying, in essence, "Are you sure you want nothing to do with me?" When the free will of the inhabitants of the land assures Him that they want no part of Him, He does what you or I would do under similar circumstances. He walks away. Then all hell breaks loose on planet earth.
Some will agree that this is how God operates-sometimes. I insist that this is how God operates all the time. Many years ago I was having trouble understanding God. My life was a mess; I actually feared for my existence because of all my troubles. And so I prayed. God, why are you doing this to me? I thought you were love. And, as He is wont to do, God answered through His word. I had the fortuitous habit of reading the Bible every day. It became more than a habit, as I began seeing something that grew bigger and clearer with each passing day. I began to see a whole new picture of God's dealings with the human race.
If you read the Bible carefully, you will find that where Scripture speaks of God's killing, it also, either before or after, speaks of God's "handing over" the wicked to destruction. These statements are so commonplace in Scripture that we read over them. Every place in Scripture where God's destructive acts are spoken of, there is a word or phrase that mitigates the action. Where God is said to destroy, it simply means that He backs off his protecting duties and lets nature take it course. In this picture, God expends His energy protecting and generating life to His creatures. He does not expend His energy destroying them. Humans have no way to sustain their life apart from Him. They have no defense against the evil one. When they get their way and God has to let them go, it's the worst day of their life. Because apart from God, there is no life. "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). We cannot live apart from Him. He exercises His energy to give us life. When we will have nothing to do with Him, He regretfully backs off from His protecting and life-giving duties, and nature takes its course.
A very bright friend of this concept, overwhelmed and overjoyed at it, shared this fact with me. In the Middle East at some time in the past it was customary for everything done within the realm to be attributed to the king. Scripture merely follows this tradition. If we don't know the traditions of the time and place these documents came into being, it puts us at a great disadvantage in understanding them. A further reason exists for Scripture to be expressed in such terms as to make God guilty of all that blood. God had a serious problem when it came to setting down His character and covenant in black and white. How could God express Scripture in such a way as to reveal Himself as omnipotent and in charge, and also show that He is totally benign. We usually attribute that quality to weaklings, which God most assuredly is not. He wants us to know that He is in charge of His universe. Human free will determines the outcome. But giving His children the capability of writing Scripture, and knowing how limited human language is in expressing this concept, perhaps it can be understood why this misunderstanding occurred in the first place.
And, where God's wrath is concerned, instead of pushing the frontiers of truth forward to enlightenment, the church discontinued studying before it became fully known, stopping short of the full statement of Scripture on the topic. The church accepted the present perverse view of God and stopped studying. And there you are. Eventually it became "hard wired" into our brains until the proverbial stick of dynamite wouldn't move it.
Now what is there about this concept that adds another danger to our list of threatening items above? Because God is going to give you up to the things that you love apart from him. Your victimizing and your fornicating and your stealing. If you love these things better than God, He'll let you have them all right, but it will be the saddest day of your life. God is a gentleman, and He will respect your free will.
So the next time someone says to you, "God loves you," please know, He really does.
Friday, September 25, 2009
What is Mindfulness and How Westerners Understand it?
In recent years, there has been a trend of westerners embracing Eastern philosophies. Ironically enough, the science of western civilization has started to borrow from eastern religious philosophy. Take the example of mindfulness. Mindfulness is entirely as eastern concept, having been derived from Buddhist teachings. Buddha once taught that attaining mindfulness is a key factor in finding the path to true enlightenment. The best way to approach this possibility for enlightenment? Why of course, combine the state of mindfulness with absorptive meditation.
Western medicine may not agree with the religious philosophy but it definitely sees value in mindfulness and its psychological potential. In fact, it is often used to help patients recover from various personality disorders, in cognitive therapy and in acceptance and commitment therapy.
What does mindfulness meditation literally mean? It refers to a mental state that is characterized by a very calm awareness of one's self. The person who is undergoing mindfulness meditation is aware of his body, aware of his feelings, and aware of his consciousness. He can feel all of these things at once within a single mind.
There are two major components to consider in understanding the core beliefs of mindfulness. First, there is the self-regulation of attention. This means that the person is concentrating only on what is perceived as the immediate experience. This allows the person to more ability to recognize mental events that are happening in the now. The second component involves taking a different view towards all momentary experiences. It involves a person accepting his own mind stream and keeping an open and curious mind to all things.
By Mary Dubitzky
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Is There Such a Thing as Chance?
By Ischalea
As with all things, be it winning a lottery, famines, the destinies of nations...is there really such a thing as chance? Surely, it's easy to say so concerning someone who wins a lottery. But how about someone who happens to be in an airplane that crashes while another passenger survives? Is that also by chance? How about someone who is on a planned vacation in a foreign country where a war breaks out suddenly and he's killed? Is that also chance? Millions of scenarios could be referenced; however," if chance is to be a determining factor in bringing about events, there must then, of necessity, be a law of chance. And then chance becomes a law which must fit in with other laws and be related to them, or else the established laws would be jostled around and overthrown.
As nature is governed by laws, so also mankind and human relations must be governed by law. AND LAW THUS DISSIPATES THE THOUGHT OF CHANCE. Chance is only a word used as an escape from the inability to understand and to explain law." All creation and all that happens in creation are governed by laws. Each major religion has reference to certain laws that are part of the very fabric of creation. For instance, "if you live by the sword, you will die by the sword." "Whatever one soweth, that shall he reap." And in everyday parlance, "what goes around comes around." These laws do not bend to the whims or fancies of man's thinking or behavior. As my grandmother used to say, "how can you plant an apple tree and expect to pick peaches?" Age-old wisdom spelt out in very simple words. Karma, retribution...these are universal laws and do not allow for chance.
We may take chances, with the hope or desire for success; however, the results are never by chance! Universal laws govern every aspect of our existence and, therefore, do not allow for chance. If one has not in some way 'earned' the right to success by previous thoughts, words and deeds, the universal laws do not alter themselves to bend to the efforts of a person towards achieving success. It is the reason why some people work very hard and simply make little profit in a business while someone else in the same line of business, same locality and working just as hard does very well. What's the difference? It's not that this latter person is lucky, because universal laws do not permit for chance and thus there could not be any such thing as luck. The difference is that what we tend to think as luck are, rightfully, only rewards resulting from a person's karmic account.
So, whenever someone exclaims "what a lucky bastard", know for sure that that 'lucky bastard' is simply making withdrawals from his 'karmic account' and it's definitely not by chance that he is enjoying his 'gifts.'
As with all things, be it winning a lottery, famines, the destinies of nations...is there really such a thing as chance? Surely, it's easy to say so concerning someone who wins a lottery. But how about someone who happens to be in an airplane that crashes while another passenger survives? Is that also by chance? How about someone who is on a planned vacation in a foreign country where a war breaks out suddenly and he's killed? Is that also chance? Millions of scenarios could be referenced; however," if chance is to be a determining factor in bringing about events, there must then, of necessity, be a law of chance. And then chance becomes a law which must fit in with other laws and be related to them, or else the established laws would be jostled around and overthrown.
As nature is governed by laws, so also mankind and human relations must be governed by law. AND LAW THUS DISSIPATES THE THOUGHT OF CHANCE. Chance is only a word used as an escape from the inability to understand and to explain law." All creation and all that happens in creation are governed by laws. Each major religion has reference to certain laws that are part of the very fabric of creation. For instance, "if you live by the sword, you will die by the sword." "Whatever one soweth, that shall he reap." And in everyday parlance, "what goes around comes around." These laws do not bend to the whims or fancies of man's thinking or behavior. As my grandmother used to say, "how can you plant an apple tree and expect to pick peaches?" Age-old wisdom spelt out in very simple words. Karma, retribution...these are universal laws and do not allow for chance.
We may take chances, with the hope or desire for success; however, the results are never by chance! Universal laws govern every aspect of our existence and, therefore, do not allow for chance. If one has not in some way 'earned' the right to success by previous thoughts, words and deeds, the universal laws do not alter themselves to bend to the efforts of a person towards achieving success. It is the reason why some people work very hard and simply make little profit in a business while someone else in the same line of business, same locality and working just as hard does very well. What's the difference? It's not that this latter person is lucky, because universal laws do not permit for chance and thus there could not be any such thing as luck. The difference is that what we tend to think as luck are, rightfully, only rewards resulting from a person's karmic account.
So, whenever someone exclaims "what a lucky bastard", know for sure that that 'lucky bastard' is simply making withdrawals from his 'karmic account' and it's definitely not by chance that he is enjoying his 'gifts.'
Are You a True Warrior?
Have you ever felt that you were here for a purpose – a very specific and special one? If so, then these affirmations can help bring out the 'true warrior' in you – that part of you that is not fearful, judgemental or weak, but courageous, accepting and powerful.
WAYS OF THE WARRIOR (by T. Harv Eker)
I create every moment of my life
My choices create my reality
My response creates my outcome
Thre is no "cant", I choose to do or choose not to
There is no "try", I do or do not do
I am true to my own heart
I speak my truth...with compassion
I keep my commitments
My word is law
I approve of myself, now
I don't have to please everybody
I don't take anything personally
I understand that how others judge me is about them
I look 'em in the eye, I tell'em who I am, and if they don't
like it, _____'em!
Remember, a warrior is charged with accomplishing a task – no excuses. He is also responsible not only to himself, but to his fellow warriors. He dies, if he has to, doing his duty. He risks it all when he goes to the rescue of a member of his clan. It's not about him, but about the task and about his tribe – his fellow warriors.
In summation, a warrior takes charge of his life and dives in full on. To every challenge he says, "bring it on." The big question is, will you be a Warrior of Light, driven by virtue or the opposite? The tools of self-empowerment are being given to you – only your intentions set you on the stage as a Warrior of Light or a Warrior of Destruction.
WAYS OF THE WARRIOR (by T. Harv Eker)
I create every moment of my life
My choices create my reality
My response creates my outcome
Thre is no "cant", I choose to do or choose not to
There is no "try", I do or do not do
I am true to my own heart
I speak my truth...with compassion
I keep my commitments
My word is law
I approve of myself, now
I don't have to please everybody
I don't take anything personally
I understand that how others judge me is about them
I look 'em in the eye, I tell'em who I am, and if they don't
like it, _____'em!
Remember, a warrior is charged with accomplishing a task – no excuses. He is also responsible not only to himself, but to his fellow warriors. He dies, if he has to, doing his duty. He risks it all when he goes to the rescue of a member of his clan. It's not about him, but about the task and about his tribe – his fellow warriors.
In summation, a warrior takes charge of his life and dives in full on. To every challenge he says, "bring it on." The big question is, will you be a Warrior of Light, driven by virtue or the opposite? The tools of self-empowerment are being given to you – only your intentions set you on the stage as a Warrior of Light or a Warrior of Destruction.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Not Even Cancer Can Stop Her!
Here's a 79-year old who refuses to let life get the better of her. With terminal cancer as her prognosis, she continues to be a dare-devil; however, what is most impressive and worth remembering is the fact that she is unafraid to die, unafraid to take chances, and unafraid to face any challenges. She is the epitome of what I call truly being alive.
Home
The Early Show
Presented by:
NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2009
Daredevil Grandma Living Her "Bucket List"
Diagnosed with Terminal Cancer, 79-Year-Old Susie Mann Has Bunch of Adventures for Time She Has Left
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Play CBS Video Video Daredevil Grandma's Bucket List
Susie Mann is a 79 year-old grandmother battling cancer but not taking it lying down. Mann is a daredevil who is living her last moments of life to their fullest. Maggie Rodriguez reports.
Photo
Susie Mann, a 79-year-old grandmother, stands in front of a hang glider. Hang gliding was one of the activities on her bucket list. (CBS)
(CBS) Susie Mann, a 79-year-old grandmother, has always been a bit of a daredevil. She's gone swimming with sharks, paddled down a foaming river on a raft, and even harnessed herself to a bungee cord for a 400-foot cliff dive over Africa's Zambezi River. Mann told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez, "I don't think I've ever been scared of the unknown. I think I take it as a challenge." Now, Mann's been diagnosed with terminal intestinal cancer. However, she refuses to slow down. Mann said on "The Early Show" Friday, "Enjoy life. Absolutely enjoy it. It's a gift." Mann was told she had cancer last spring. Her doctor said she had six-to-nine months to live. How did she react? "I said, 'Oh good, that'll give us time to do things.' And he almost fell off the chair!" The grandmother of four has created a "bucket list" of adventures she will complete with her family by her side. Mann went hang-gliding recently, flying 2,500 feet above her family, who watched her from below. "It was great," Mann said. "It really was. It was so quiet up there. You really felt like a bird." Next on her list is to go skydiving, this coming weekend. Soon, she also plans to swim with dolphins and descend into the Grand Canyon on a donkey. Mann has refused treatment for her cancer. Her reason? She told Rodriguez, simply, "Who wants to be sick all that time?" Mann's daughter, Louise Weadock, said she wishes her mother would receive treatment. However, she said she admires her mother's ability to move forward, despite the diagnosis. Weadlock said, "There are times when we want to sit back on the curb, lick our wounds, have our own little pity party, and she's out there playing the game." Rodriguez asked Mann what she says to people who are feeling down. She responded, "Get over it. Get over it. I don't have any time for that. ... I love life. I really do. I've been very, very, very lucky." To Mann, dying is another part of living. She said, "It doesn't have to come to an end. It can be a beginning. ... Dying is just another page of life, just a different journey in a different place."
Home
The Early Show
Presented by:
NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2009
Daredevil Grandma Living Her "Bucket List"
Diagnosed with Terminal Cancer, 79-Year-Old Susie Mann Has Bunch of Adventures for Time She Has Left
Font size
Share
18 Comments
Play CBS Video Video Daredevil Grandma's Bucket List
Susie Mann is a 79 year-old grandmother battling cancer but not taking it lying down. Mann is a daredevil who is living her last moments of life to their fullest. Maggie Rodriguez reports.
Photo
Susie Mann, a 79-year-old grandmother, stands in front of a hang glider. Hang gliding was one of the activities on her bucket list. (CBS)
(CBS) Susie Mann, a 79-year-old grandmother, has always been a bit of a daredevil. She's gone swimming with sharks, paddled down a foaming river on a raft, and even harnessed herself to a bungee cord for a 400-foot cliff dive over Africa's Zambezi River. Mann told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez, "I don't think I've ever been scared of the unknown. I think I take it as a challenge." Now, Mann's been diagnosed with terminal intestinal cancer. However, she refuses to slow down. Mann said on "The Early Show" Friday, "Enjoy life. Absolutely enjoy it. It's a gift." Mann was told she had cancer last spring. Her doctor said she had six-to-nine months to live. How did she react? "I said, 'Oh good, that'll give us time to do things.' And he almost fell off the chair!" The grandmother of four has created a "bucket list" of adventures she will complete with her family by her side. Mann went hang-gliding recently, flying 2,500 feet above her family, who watched her from below. "It was great," Mann said. "It really was. It was so quiet up there. You really felt like a bird." Next on her list is to go skydiving, this coming weekend. Soon, she also plans to swim with dolphins and descend into the Grand Canyon on a donkey. Mann has refused treatment for her cancer. Her reason? She told Rodriguez, simply, "Who wants to be sick all that time?" Mann's daughter, Louise Weadock, said she wishes her mother would receive treatment. However, she said she admires her mother's ability to move forward, despite the diagnosis. Weadlock said, "There are times when we want to sit back on the curb, lick our wounds, have our own little pity party, and she's out there playing the game." Rodriguez asked Mann what she says to people who are feeling down. She responded, "Get over it. Get over it. I don't have any time for that. ... I love life. I really do. I've been very, very, very lucky." To Mann, dying is another part of living. She said, "It doesn't have to come to an end. It can be a beginning. ... Dying is just another page of life, just a different journey in a different place."
Listen to Your Voice
"There is a voice in each of us that speaks to who we are. It is our bluepring, our Divine expression, that tells the world what we are about. When we align with our voice, the calling of our heart is expressed on a deep soul level. The gift and blesing of who we are becomes clear and apparent as we step into the vision we have set for ourselves. There can be no mistake that the uniqueness and specialness that each of us brings to the birth of a new day is alwaways backed by the clear and focused expression of magnificent excellence which is the gift we shae on our journey.
The path we have chosen must be centered in a mindful creative attitude of prosperity and abundance because when we do, our day becomes one of infinite possibility and unconditional love.
LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE: it has sweet messages of infinite wisdome nad divine intelligence.
LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE: it will guide you n the journey towards realization of your dreams.
LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE: it is the map of possibility within you that always has your best interest in mind.
Today is the day to say to yourself, "I believe in my heart that I am worthy to have the life I desire."
Today, know in our heart that the Universe is ready for you to step into your gratness in an effortless way so that all of LIFE rushes to you with ease and grace. Stand up and shout it out that "It's My Time to absolutely have it all. You are an extraordinarily amazing being that the world needs to show up in all your glory as you LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE and say yes to all the opportunities that are available to you."
Paul Hoffman
The path we have chosen must be centered in a mindful creative attitude of prosperity and abundance because when we do, our day becomes one of infinite possibility and unconditional love.
LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE: it has sweet messages of infinite wisdome nad divine intelligence.
LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE: it will guide you n the journey towards realization of your dreams.
LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE: it is the map of possibility within you that always has your best interest in mind.
Today is the day to say to yourself, "I believe in my heart that I am worthy to have the life I desire."
Today, know in our heart that the Universe is ready for you to step into your gratness in an effortless way so that all of LIFE rushes to you with ease and grace. Stand up and shout it out that "It's My Time to absolutely have it all. You are an extraordinarily amazing being that the world needs to show up in all your glory as you LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE and say yes to all the opportunities that are available to you."
Paul Hoffman
Friday, September 18, 2009
The Power of Intention
In 1974, weeks before Muhammad Ali met World Heavyweight Champion George Foreman for their "rumble in the jungle" in Kinhasa, he would practice his punches carelessly. Ali mostly laid against the ropes and allowed his opponent to punch away at him from all sides.
In later years into his career, Ali spent a great deal of time learning HOW to take punches--for instance, shifting his head just a hair before the connection was made, or where in his own body he could possibly deflect the punch so that it would no longer hurt. In doing so, Ali was not training his body to win but his mind not to lose. He was preparing his mind not to lose at the point where extreme fatigue starts setting in around the twelfth round--where most boxers simply cave in. Thus, the most important work Ali did was not in the ring, but in his armchair. He practiced fighting the fight in his head.
He was a Master of Intention! Developing a set of mental skills, he used them to his advantage in the ring--affirmations, visualizations, self-confirmations and most importantly, his self-proclamation of his own worth, "I am the greatest." Before every fight Ali used these techniques. Using rhyming quatrains and couplets he cleverly disguised his very specific intentions. For instance:
Archie Moore
Is sure
To hug the floor
By the end of four
Now Clay swings with a right
What a beautiful swing
And the punch knocks the Bear
Clear out of the ring.
Brilliant!! Before a fight, Ali woud repeat these rhymes like mantras everywhere--to the press, his opponent, and even in the ring until he himself believed it and accepted it as fact, that he'd knocked 'the Bear clear out of the ring.'
In his fight with Joe Frazier, Ali created in his mind an image of Joe as a tiny rubber gorilla, and literally carried a 'vodoo doll' in his top pocket, taking a punch at it from time to time for the tv cameras, repeating: "It's gonna be a thrill and a chilla and a killa when I get the gorilla in Manila." Frazier had already been reduced in his mind to something less human by the time he entered the ring.
In addition to these verbalized intentions, Ali carried out powerful mental ones where he would rehearse every moment of the fight in his head: the sweat pouring down his body, the cuts and bruises on his face, the screams of the crowds, the weakness in his knees, the pain to his kidneys, the cameras flashing, and even seeing the referee lift his arm in victory against Frazier. What happened here? Ali had sent powerful intentions to his entire body to win and it responded by simply following orders.
This is the great Power of Intention. Imagine harnessing this power in anything we propose to do, especially when the odds are seemingly stacked against us, and witness the unbeatable champion in you not only rise to the challenge, but emerge victorious, each and every time!
In later years into his career, Ali spent a great deal of time learning HOW to take punches--for instance, shifting his head just a hair before the connection was made, or where in his own body he could possibly deflect the punch so that it would no longer hurt. In doing so, Ali was not training his body to win but his mind not to lose. He was preparing his mind not to lose at the point where extreme fatigue starts setting in around the twelfth round--where most boxers simply cave in. Thus, the most important work Ali did was not in the ring, but in his armchair. He practiced fighting the fight in his head.
He was a Master of Intention! Developing a set of mental skills, he used them to his advantage in the ring--affirmations, visualizations, self-confirmations and most importantly, his self-proclamation of his own worth, "I am the greatest." Before every fight Ali used these techniques. Using rhyming quatrains and couplets he cleverly disguised his very specific intentions. For instance:
Archie Moore
Is sure
To hug the floor
By the end of four
Now Clay swings with a right
What a beautiful swing
And the punch knocks the Bear
Clear out of the ring.
Brilliant!! Before a fight, Ali woud repeat these rhymes like mantras everywhere--to the press, his opponent, and even in the ring until he himself believed it and accepted it as fact, that he'd knocked 'the Bear clear out of the ring.'
In his fight with Joe Frazier, Ali created in his mind an image of Joe as a tiny rubber gorilla, and literally carried a 'vodoo doll' in his top pocket, taking a punch at it from time to time for the tv cameras, repeating: "It's gonna be a thrill and a chilla and a killa when I get the gorilla in Manila." Frazier had already been reduced in his mind to something less human by the time he entered the ring.
In addition to these verbalized intentions, Ali carried out powerful mental ones where he would rehearse every moment of the fight in his head: the sweat pouring down his body, the cuts and bruises on his face, the screams of the crowds, the weakness in his knees, the pain to his kidneys, the cameras flashing, and even seeing the referee lift his arm in victory against Frazier. What happened here? Ali had sent powerful intentions to his entire body to win and it responded by simply following orders.
This is the great Power of Intention. Imagine harnessing this power in anything we propose to do, especially when the odds are seemingly stacked against us, and witness the unbeatable champion in you not only rise to the challenge, but emerge victorious, each and every time!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Something within me wanted me to continue looking at a documentary tonight regarding 9/11. It's hard to think that eight years have elapsed since that fateful day. Yet, the emotions were again stirred except tonight I felt numb. The sadness was just too great. Even when the documentary was over, I felt glued to the television as if there was something of import that would go past me unnoticed. Then, the caption appeared concerning one unsung hero. His name was Rick Serola and this is briefly his story.
Rick believed that many of the key buildings in the World Trade center lacked proper security. His fears were realized at the 1993 bombing. After this, he was adamant about security at the WTC and worked diligently towards that end. At Morgan Stanley, he organized and supervised the frequent fire drills of over 2,000 of their employees. Rick was sure that an air attack was inevitable, since ground security had been beefed up. His dear friend and security consultant agreed wholeheartedly.
Morgan Stanley occupied floors forty four through the seventies, and on that fateful day, Rick was as dedicated to the safety of his people as he was to his platoon in Vietnam. Then a hero and again on 9/11 Rick was to prove unequivocally that the love he held for his co-workers, all 2,o00 plus of them, and his unswerving duty to protect them was not unlike his heroic actions decades before. Against the genuine concern of others for his own safety, Rick made sure that everyone that he could possibly reach made it out that tower, going back six times through different floors to make sure noone was left behind.
All but six employees did not survive, and so, too Rick. He died a hero. And today I join the families of Morgan Stanley to honor Rick Serola, a true American hero. As I look at his widow on tv, I feel the pain she bears; yet, I feel the pride she holds. And as I think of Rick, I also think of all the other heroes--firemen, policemen, office workers who helped others, strangers who helped strangers and I honor them all. And I also honor my young daughter who braved the carnage to offer her help while I sat across the other bank of the Hudson River wondering where she was and what had happened to her.
To Rick and all those who are no longer with us, our heartfelt thanks for the sacrifices you made and for the great heroism you exhibited. And our love and prayers go to your families.
Rick believed that many of the key buildings in the World Trade center lacked proper security. His fears were realized at the 1993 bombing. After this, he was adamant about security at the WTC and worked diligently towards that end. At Morgan Stanley, he organized and supervised the frequent fire drills of over 2,000 of their employees. Rick was sure that an air attack was inevitable, since ground security had been beefed up. His dear friend and security consultant agreed wholeheartedly.
Morgan Stanley occupied floors forty four through the seventies, and on that fateful day, Rick was as dedicated to the safety of his people as he was to his platoon in Vietnam. Then a hero and again on 9/11 Rick was to prove unequivocally that the love he held for his co-workers, all 2,o00 plus of them, and his unswerving duty to protect them was not unlike his heroic actions decades before. Against the genuine concern of others for his own safety, Rick made sure that everyone that he could possibly reach made it out that tower, going back six times through different floors to make sure noone was left behind.
All but six employees did not survive, and so, too Rick. He died a hero. And today I join the families of Morgan Stanley to honor Rick Serola, a true American hero. As I look at his widow on tv, I feel the pain she bears; yet, I feel the pride she holds. And as I think of Rick, I also think of all the other heroes--firemen, policemen, office workers who helped others, strangers who helped strangers and I honor them all. And I also honor my young daughter who braved the carnage to offer her help while I sat across the other bank of the Hudson River wondering where she was and what had happened to her.
To Rick and all those who are no longer with us, our heartfelt thanks for the sacrifices you made and for the great heroism you exhibited. And our love and prayers go to your families.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
How to Manage and Train Our Minds
We have to power to choose our thoughts, thereby creating our preferred life situations and environments. Thoughts are energy and since we live in a Universe of vibrating energy, all thoughts unleash great possibilities for the physical manifestation of the objects of those thoughts. We have only to look at the world today that humankind has collectively created over time and cringe at the monsters that have been unleashed!
So what can we do about it? We can start right at this moment to help change this, for each of us has the natural ability to install self-empowering thoughts in our minds at any time. How? By simply making the choice to focus on them! Both individually and collectively, we have the power to control our minds--it's just a matter of training ourselves to do so. As in running an effective business, so in running an effective mind--training and management go hand-in-hand.
So what can we do about it? We can start right at this moment to help change this, for each of us has the natural ability to install self-empowering thoughts in our minds at any time. How? By simply making the choice to focus on them! Both individually and collectively, we have the power to control our minds--it's just a matter of training ourselves to do so. As in running an effective business, so in running an effective mind--training and management go hand-in-hand.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Are There Angels Around Us?
Anxiously awaiting to start my trip to Pennsylvania to visit my sister over the Labor Day weekend at the end of August 2008, I went upstairs to say goodbye to my cat, Blinken, as he lay on my bed ready to take his after breakfast nap. Stroking him gently, I told him that our friends, John and Joe, were coming over to take care of him. He looked at me, visibly upset that I was leaving and continued to groom himself, in preparation for his nap.
Three minutes later, my husband and I drove off, clueless to the fact that upon hearing the front door open, he'd ran out swiftly around the house and to the back yard while we were putting our luggage in the truck. A pleasant four-hour trip to my sister's was the prelude to a most enjoyable weekend. Little did I know of the trauma that awaited us upon our return.
Arriving home at midnight three days later, Blinken was nowhere to be found. Walking around the neighborhood and calling his name received no response. Standing in the backyard hoping for his return became a fruitless exercise. Crying myself to sleep I hoped that daylight in a few hours might find him safely back home. To my dismay next morning, he did not return.
Daily I prayed with renewed fervour. At night I tried to meditate but my grief was unbearable and all I could do was pray, calling upon God, my teachers, the saints, my guru--whichever source came to mind. Still no Blinken. Posters put up within a half mile radius elicited dozens of calls daily (and nightly, too) with us responding to each one as quickly as we could by foot or car to identify the cats in question--all to no avail.
Three weeks later, my husband said to me one night, "Did you hear that? It sounds like Blinken." I heard nothing except the noise of the television, which was definitely fairly loud. In any event, we both rushed out our back door, and there he was in the neighbor's yard, visibly hurt with one paw up in the air. Tears of joy streamed down my face as I gently called his name.
Unable to jump over the fence with a hurt leg, he just stood there. My husband jumped over the fence into our neighbor's yard hoping to hand him over to me. Scared by the sudden noise, Blinken scampered away on all three's and was not to be seen again for the ensuing days.
To have seen him hurt and not been able to bring him back into the house was emotional torture. Our hearts were breaking with grief and the feeling of helplessness. In a last frantic bid for Divine help I called to the Angels with the following prayer: "Not for my sake but for his, please lift up and bring my kitty over the fence so that we may care for him as otherwise he'll surely die." I started visualizing the Angels holding him and carrying him over the fence every day and night.
A week later, one morning at 6:30 a.m., we heard a cat crying at our back door. Rushing downstairs we barely opened the door when he just bolted in and began kissing us, stroking us, and eating hungrily. He had lost tremendous weight and a lot of his hair. His left front leg was badly injured. Yet, on all three's, despite his pain, he ran around the house excitedly, just happy to be home. This was, however, only the beginning of another chapter of challenges.
Four months later, and three major surgeries--during the last of which he lost his leg--Blinken's home was a cage. It was critical for his recuperation after his surgeries, but to witness his pain and sadness, both physical and emotional, was unbearable. Yet, I kept visualizing the Angels surrounding him with their light, whether at home or at the hospital. Incredibly, he managed, despite his weakened immune system and having been near total starvation, to recuperate and become stronger. During my visits to him at the veterinary hospital, I would continue to do the visualizing technique with the Angels not only surrounding him with light, but also the other animals. Miraculously, one particular newborn kitten who was being kept in an incubator and being fed with a dropper suddenly started walking towards a dish with soft food and started eating. Everyone was amazed since the prognosis had been glum--the kitten had been too weak to even move or eat anything solid and had been given very little hope, if any, of survival.
At his last check-up in February, this year, his doctor commented on Blinken's resilience and his amazing recovery considering he'd lost almost half his weight, lots of his hair, and was quite dehydrated when he first came home. He said to me, "It's a miracle that he's even alive after all that he's been through. He's quite a trooper." I replied, "Yes, it is a miracle, the Angels have been looking after him." Doc replied, "They certainly have!"
Three minutes later, my husband and I drove off, clueless to the fact that upon hearing the front door open, he'd ran out swiftly around the house and to the back yard while we were putting our luggage in the truck. A pleasant four-hour trip to my sister's was the prelude to a most enjoyable weekend. Little did I know of the trauma that awaited us upon our return.
Arriving home at midnight three days later, Blinken was nowhere to be found. Walking around the neighborhood and calling his name received no response. Standing in the backyard hoping for his return became a fruitless exercise. Crying myself to sleep I hoped that daylight in a few hours might find him safely back home. To my dismay next morning, he did not return.
Daily I prayed with renewed fervour. At night I tried to meditate but my grief was unbearable and all I could do was pray, calling upon God, my teachers, the saints, my guru--whichever source came to mind. Still no Blinken. Posters put up within a half mile radius elicited dozens of calls daily (and nightly, too) with us responding to each one as quickly as we could by foot or car to identify the cats in question--all to no avail.
Three weeks later, my husband said to me one night, "Did you hear that? It sounds like Blinken." I heard nothing except the noise of the television, which was definitely fairly loud. In any event, we both rushed out our back door, and there he was in the neighbor's yard, visibly hurt with one paw up in the air. Tears of joy streamed down my face as I gently called his name.
Unable to jump over the fence with a hurt leg, he just stood there. My husband jumped over the fence into our neighbor's yard hoping to hand him over to me. Scared by the sudden noise, Blinken scampered away on all three's and was not to be seen again for the ensuing days.
To have seen him hurt and not been able to bring him back into the house was emotional torture. Our hearts were breaking with grief and the feeling of helplessness. In a last frantic bid for Divine help I called to the Angels with the following prayer: "Not for my sake but for his, please lift up and bring my kitty over the fence so that we may care for him as otherwise he'll surely die." I started visualizing the Angels holding him and carrying him over the fence every day and night.
A week later, one morning at 6:30 a.m., we heard a cat crying at our back door. Rushing downstairs we barely opened the door when he just bolted in and began kissing us, stroking us, and eating hungrily. He had lost tremendous weight and a lot of his hair. His left front leg was badly injured. Yet, on all three's, despite his pain, he ran around the house excitedly, just happy to be home. This was, however, only the beginning of another chapter of challenges.
Four months later, and three major surgeries--during the last of which he lost his leg--Blinken's home was a cage. It was critical for his recuperation after his surgeries, but to witness his pain and sadness, both physical and emotional, was unbearable. Yet, I kept visualizing the Angels surrounding him with their light, whether at home or at the hospital. Incredibly, he managed, despite his weakened immune system and having been near total starvation, to recuperate and become stronger. During my visits to him at the veterinary hospital, I would continue to do the visualizing technique with the Angels not only surrounding him with light, but also the other animals. Miraculously, one particular newborn kitten who was being kept in an incubator and being fed with a dropper suddenly started walking towards a dish with soft food and started eating. Everyone was amazed since the prognosis had been glum--the kitten had been too weak to even move or eat anything solid and had been given very little hope, if any, of survival.
At his last check-up in February, this year, his doctor commented on Blinken's resilience and his amazing recovery considering he'd lost almost half his weight, lots of his hair, and was quite dehydrated when he first came home. He said to me, "It's a miracle that he's even alive after all that he's been through. He's quite a trooper." I replied, "Yes, it is a miracle, the Angels have been looking after him." Doc replied, "They certainly have!"
Thursday, May 28, 2009
What's Is The "End Times"/ 2012?
For many years now there's been a lot said and written about "The End Times" and the year 2012. For some people, it carries a biblical mandate and thus is shrouded in much mystery and mayhem, producing all sorts of fears. For others it signifies some prophetic and magical time of new beginnings when everything on the Earth changes--no more wars, famine.... Each carries some semblance of truth in that if we look at it from a Biblical standpoint yes, it is a time of great upheaval and chaos as we experiencing right now. If we look at it from the standpoint of the optimists, it could be a 'magical' time. However, the keys to understanding this whole thing lie in the words 'end' and 'new beginnings' and 'changes--almost a blending of both interpretations.
There cannot be a beginning without an end and with all new beginnings things have to change in order to move with the 'currents' of change. In fact, things have to change or else there cannot be a new beginning. They are all interdependent and interlocking components.
As we look at our world today, one cannot but look forward to 2012 if even for the paltry thought that "hopefully it'll be better." But what exactly does 2012 mean for humanity as a whole? It means there is going to be a shift in conscious awareness on this planet, almost akin to some sort of 'evolutionary jump.' It is through man's evolving conscious awareness that he has survived and thrived for millions of years on planet Earth. And it is ONLY through an 'evolutionary jump' in his thinking that he will be able to withstand and thrive in this new era.
It is sad and disturbing that after all our technological prowess we still act with almost primitive instinct in our insatiable thirst for dominance in every arena of life. Today's news is replete with war, greed, crime, suffering, nuclear threat, economic chaos.... Why hasn't anything changed much over the ages? Because our thinking has not aged with the ages, therefore, our behavior has remained the same at its core.
The shifting cosmic energies are forcing us to go 'within', to search within ourselves for the answers now as we come to terms with the fact that there is no vengeful god who's out to get us or who stirs up trouble for this world, but that we are all in it and all responsible for what has happened and what may continue to happen unless we change and change rapidly. Time is swiftly running out so it is critical for us to make a quantum leap in our bid to 'change with the changing times.'
How? By practicing right thinking, setting powerful intentions for a better world, trusting in our innate, superhuman abilities to set powerful visualizations in motion to create/manifest what type of world environment we want and also trusting that our efforts will have the powerful cosmic backing that it needs to bring it into a physical reality. We cannot lose a moment anymore.
For those of us who wish to be the pioneers of this new era on Earth, let us start now, this very moment, by practicing deep breathing as we visualize our ideal environment, ideal life, our ideal world, and set powerful intentions that it will be so--"I intend that my life, the lives of my family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, community members, countrymen, and world family will be positively changed, bringing in peace, harmony, joy, abundance, good health and prosperity for all." "And So It Is."
Let us do this as often as we can on a daily basis for we are the ones called upon to spearhead this change. It is our duty and our calling, having nothing to do with our vocation or religious backgroud--or lack of one. It is a concerted effort to help bring out a positive change in a world that desperately needs one, and it is to our own benefit that we do this for whether we believe it or not, we are each an integral part of that great web of life, and our interconnectedness and interdependence is finally being proven to us in a way that truly hits hard--the threatened collapse of our global economy and of a false consumer-driven security.
There cannot be a beginning without an end and with all new beginnings things have to change in order to move with the 'currents' of change. In fact, things have to change or else there cannot be a new beginning. They are all interdependent and interlocking components.
As we look at our world today, one cannot but look forward to 2012 if even for the paltry thought that "hopefully it'll be better." But what exactly does 2012 mean for humanity as a whole? It means there is going to be a shift in conscious awareness on this planet, almost akin to some sort of 'evolutionary jump.' It is through man's evolving conscious awareness that he has survived and thrived for millions of years on planet Earth. And it is ONLY through an 'evolutionary jump' in his thinking that he will be able to withstand and thrive in this new era.
It is sad and disturbing that after all our technological prowess we still act with almost primitive instinct in our insatiable thirst for dominance in every arena of life. Today's news is replete with war, greed, crime, suffering, nuclear threat, economic chaos.... Why hasn't anything changed much over the ages? Because our thinking has not aged with the ages, therefore, our behavior has remained the same at its core.
The shifting cosmic energies are forcing us to go 'within', to search within ourselves for the answers now as we come to terms with the fact that there is no vengeful god who's out to get us or who stirs up trouble for this world, but that we are all in it and all responsible for what has happened and what may continue to happen unless we change and change rapidly. Time is swiftly running out so it is critical for us to make a quantum leap in our bid to 'change with the changing times.'
How? By practicing right thinking, setting powerful intentions for a better world, trusting in our innate, superhuman abilities to set powerful visualizations in motion to create/manifest what type of world environment we want and also trusting that our efforts will have the powerful cosmic backing that it needs to bring it into a physical reality. We cannot lose a moment anymore.
For those of us who wish to be the pioneers of this new era on Earth, let us start now, this very moment, by practicing deep breathing as we visualize our ideal environment, ideal life, our ideal world, and set powerful intentions that it will be so--"I intend that my life, the lives of my family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, community members, countrymen, and world family will be positively changed, bringing in peace, harmony, joy, abundance, good health and prosperity for all." "And So It Is."
Let us do this as often as we can on a daily basis for we are the ones called upon to spearhead this change. It is our duty and our calling, having nothing to do with our vocation or religious backgroud--or lack of one. It is a concerted effort to help bring out a positive change in a world that desperately needs one, and it is to our own benefit that we do this for whether we believe it or not, we are each an integral part of that great web of life, and our interconnectedness and interdependence is finally being proven to us in a way that truly hits hard--the threatened collapse of our global economy and of a false consumer-driven security.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Anger, Our Great Adversary
My spiritual teacher once showed me several pictures taken of various individuals using Kurlian photography. I was amazed to see not only the fascinating colors and combinations thereof, but also shocked to see the energy patterns that surrounded an angry person. The shapes were those of pointed daggers shooting out from around that person in all and every direction. Observing my reaction, my teacher, a dear sweet lady, wise and angelic, said to me, "Do you see why it is detrimental to anyone to hold on to anger, even if he feels it is justified? Just look at the tremendous amounts of negative energy that's being expelled outwardly."
I thought about this for a moment and realized that if so much energy was being expelled, then it must surely mean that now that person would be experiencing a great loss of energy to his own body. Would that not be detrimental to that person's health?, I asked. My teacher replied, "and to the person on the receiving end, also!" She further explained that certain vital organs in our bodies were directly affected by our different emotions, cautioning that sustained emotions like anger could cause life threatening disease to the corresponding organ.
Recently, listening to a lecture in Montreal, Canada, the teacher made a remark that was even more shocking. She said, "Anger kills cats." For those of us who love our pets so dearly, beware, for I've actually witnessed this type of scenario. It had been eighteen years before since I had seen those pictures, but the words of this teacher brought back vivid memories of the ugly and most disturbing auric field of one very angry man.
Interestingly, my spiritual teacher's auric field was absolutely gorgeous, extending very far outward, but especially so over her head, in stark contrast to that of an envious woman that had the color of a dirty green, while the photograph of an oversexed man was the dirtiest, dullest red ever! I remember a massage therapist/energetic healer once saying to me that the body doesn't lie. I will add to that that the aura doesn't lie either!
Taking this on another broader level, just think of the millions of angry people who inhabit our globe, in addition to the countless others (including some of us) who get angry ever so often or even once in a while--what potent, destructive energy this is for humanity, for the earth, for the animals, plants, the mineral kingdom.... Are we not even upsetting the Earth's energetic fields as we collectively send these powerful, negative energy blasts?
Worse off than those who are the recipients of the negative energy of anger are the ones who are delivering it. How so? Because "Anger, like acid, destroys more the vessel that contains it than that upon which it is poured."
I thought about this for a moment and realized that if so much energy was being expelled, then it must surely mean that now that person would be experiencing a great loss of energy to his own body. Would that not be detrimental to that person's health?, I asked. My teacher replied, "and to the person on the receiving end, also!" She further explained that certain vital organs in our bodies were directly affected by our different emotions, cautioning that sustained emotions like anger could cause life threatening disease to the corresponding organ.
Recently, listening to a lecture in Montreal, Canada, the teacher made a remark that was even more shocking. She said, "Anger kills cats." For those of us who love our pets so dearly, beware, for I've actually witnessed this type of scenario. It had been eighteen years before since I had seen those pictures, but the words of this teacher brought back vivid memories of the ugly and most disturbing auric field of one very angry man.
Interestingly, my spiritual teacher's auric field was absolutely gorgeous, extending very far outward, but especially so over her head, in stark contrast to that of an envious woman that had the color of a dirty green, while the photograph of an oversexed man was the dirtiest, dullest red ever! I remember a massage therapist/energetic healer once saying to me that the body doesn't lie. I will add to that that the aura doesn't lie either!
Taking this on another broader level, just think of the millions of angry people who inhabit our globe, in addition to the countless others (including some of us) who get angry ever so often or even once in a while--what potent, destructive energy this is for humanity, for the earth, for the animals, plants, the mineral kingdom.... Are we not even upsetting the Earth's energetic fields as we collectively send these powerful, negative energy blasts?
Worse off than those who are the recipients of the negative energy of anger are the ones who are delivering it. How so? Because "Anger, like acid, destroys more the vessel that contains it than that upon which it is poured."
Monday, May 25, 2009
Peace, the Triumph of Principles
To experience peace in a world fraught with strife seems almost impossible. Yet, the broader application of principles is the key to such experience, as Ralph Waldo Emerson once noted: "Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles."
What are the broader principles? Honesty, Compassion, Humility, Tolerance, Forgiveness, Justice, Charity and Gratitude , even the lesser known ones like Continence and Equanimity--none of which are anything but liberating and add meaning to our lives. Let us not be deluded, however, for as meaning-seeking creatures, these principles can have either an uplifting effect as they operate in our lives or we can find ourselves thrust into the deep, dark abyss of despair or depression, feeling that we have no reason for living.
How? Just as health principles guide us on the path of nutrition with the objective of disease prevention; principles of law protect our rights as citizens and safeguard our society; and scientific principles furthers research and provides a clearer understanding of the natural world, so, too, do spiritual principles guide our lives--or they should. In a sense, we are therefore all spiritual seekers.
Regardless of our personal beliefs, or lack of any, one thing we can agree on--our modern economy does not satisfy our wants but works incessantly to create new ones. Many serve useful purposes; however, if we worship money, things and power and regard them as barometers with which to gauge what constitutes a meaningful life, we will never have enough. For example, worship power and you will feel weak and afraid, thus needing more and more power over others to keep your fear under control. Worship your intellect and you will be thrust in the unfortunate position of being fearful of being exposed as a fraud, for as brilliant as you think you are, no one knows everything about anything.
In conclusion, the triumph of principles is what really makes for a triumphant life!
To your self-discovery and growth.
Ischalea
What are the broader principles? Honesty, Compassion, Humility, Tolerance, Forgiveness, Justice, Charity and Gratitude , even the lesser known ones like Continence and Equanimity--none of which are anything but liberating and add meaning to our lives. Let us not be deluded, however, for as meaning-seeking creatures, these principles can have either an uplifting effect as they operate in our lives or we can find ourselves thrust into the deep, dark abyss of despair or depression, feeling that we have no reason for living.
How? Just as health principles guide us on the path of nutrition with the objective of disease prevention; principles of law protect our rights as citizens and safeguard our society; and scientific principles furthers research and provides a clearer understanding of the natural world, so, too, do spiritual principles guide our lives--or they should. In a sense, we are therefore all spiritual seekers.
Regardless of our personal beliefs, or lack of any, one thing we can agree on--our modern economy does not satisfy our wants but works incessantly to create new ones. Many serve useful purposes; however, if we worship money, things and power and regard them as barometers with which to gauge what constitutes a meaningful life, we will never have enough. For example, worship power and you will feel weak and afraid, thus needing more and more power over others to keep your fear under control. Worship your intellect and you will be thrust in the unfortunate position of being fearful of being exposed as a fraud, for as brilliant as you think you are, no one knows everything about anything.
In conclusion, the triumph of principles is what really makes for a triumphant life!
To your self-discovery and growth.
Ischalea
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